The overall purpose of this core is to provide members of the Center with service, scientific knowledge, and technical expertise to expand the application of molecular biological approaches in their research. The specific objectives of this facility core are, 1) to provide support for the development of research programs that can capitalize on state-of-the-art DNA and RNA analysis resources provided as a service to members; and 2) to serve as a central molecular biology resource for the conception and execution of new projects and approaches for examining the molecular mechanisms of host responses to environmental compounds. This core provides resources to support DNA-based molecular approaches in environmental health research at the Center. The core provides centralized facilities for DNA sequencing, polymerase chain reaction, DNA fragment analysis, DNA microarray methods, oligonucleotide design, and limited bioinformatics support. The DNA sequencing laboratory provides up-to-date methods for automated DNA sequencing and is largely supported by the Cancer Institute of New Jersey at RWJMS with additional support from this Center grant. The microarray service is a new addition since the last review, and a newly established laboratory in the Cancer Institute of New Jersey will provide these services. Synthetic DNA is provided via an outsourcing mechanism for ordering synthetic oligonucleotides through a contract with an outside commercial vendor. The central core emphasizes educational and instructional training in basic molecular biology techniques and sponsors technical seminars on the services provided by the facility.